1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to treatment of liquids, and in a more preferred manifestation of the invention to beverage treatment apparatus and methods. In one preferred manifestation, the invention pertains to wine or liquor-making processes and equipment and, more specifically, relates to an improved toasted wooden infusion spiral to impart a distinctive flavor and scent through an aging process.
2. Description of the Related Art
During various fermentation, distillation, and synthesis processes, very complex liquid mixtures of chemical compounds may be formed. Liquids to which the present invention applies, for exemplary purposes only and expressly not limiting the scope of the invention thereto, may include wines, liquors, other alcoholic or spirited mixtures, vinegars, mixtures of solids and liquids such as mustard and ketchup, various other consumables, perfumes, essential oils, various other non-consumables, and the like. These liquids, as a by-product of their creation, will frequently include as components such families of compounds as alcohols, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, organic acids, amines and amides, alkaloids, sulfur compounds, and other simple and complex compounds too numerous to specifically mention herein. While some of these compounds are highly desired, others may impart a less desirable flavor or scent. However, using laboratory processes to compose or manipulate these compounds and still produce a desired product is often not possible, either economically or at all. The compositions are, quite simply, too complex for effective laboratory synthesis.
Through many centuries, a process of aging beverages such as wines, liquors, and the like in toasted wooden containers has been perpetuated which, given the appropriate source liquids, will produce a highly desired resulting composition. The toasted wood is believed to interact with the various compounds described above, absorbing and thereby removing some, reacting with others, and releasing still others into the liquid.
Historically, this aging process occurred by keeping the beverage in a toasted or charred wooden container, whether barrel or other shape or design, for a period of time. With sufficient time, the interaction occurs between the wood and liquid contained therein. In the case of wines and liquors, such aging allows for the ripening of the flavors and for the removal of harmful component parts of the original wine product. Additionally, the wooden material used in the fabrication of the container imparts an additional flavor to the liquid which is characteristic of the wood and the preparation of the wood. Often, oak containers are chosen for wines and liquors, owing to the distinctive and desirable flavor infused.
Unfortunately, as is also known, the aging process in wood containers tends to be very slow and takes place over a time span often measured by years. The wood, and the flavor imparted thereby, can change according to the humidity and other atmospheric conditions surrounding the wood, often necessitating the use of special cellars or storage facilities to maintain desirable conditions while protecting the perishable containers. Furthermore, oak does not have fine, linear and consistent grain, but is instead coarse and erratic. Consequently, there exists a potential for leaks directly through the grains or any defects in the wood. Such leaks may not be revealed immediately, but may instead appear after much aging. Owing again to the erratic grains, the fabrication of typical containers such as barrels from staves is quite costly and difficult. Even after being fabricated, additional expenses are incurred transporting these containers to their point of use since they are bulky and heavy. Finally, these containers can be expensive and difficult to maintain, and will require complete replacement when the aging processes have consumed the ability of the wood to interact properly with the liquid.
Containers have been manufactured from other materials such as glass, plastic, and metal. These containers address many of the aforementioned drawbacks of the wooden containers, but do not infuse the wine with the desired flavoring, nor otherwise interact in a positive way. Consequently, wooden containers have historically been highly preferred.
In order to provide the benefits previously obtained from wooden containers, apparatus for treating the liquid have been developed. Commonly referred to as infusion or aging means, these apparatus come in a variety of shapes, sizes, materials, and the like. Examples of known infusion means are illustrated, for exemplary purposes, by U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,009 to Ramsay. In Ramsay, cut shapes of wood with various cross-sectional geometries are presented. These wooden dowels are provided with an enlarged top, a smooth cylindrical neck, and a cut and drilled active region. However effective the Ramsay approach might have been, the manufacturing process required for the production of the apparatus is complex and expensive. In spite of the extra cost, only marginal benefit from such an apparatus may be obtained in use.
Other approaches have been presented which merely insert oak staves or boards directly into a container. Exemplary of these patents are U.S. Pat. No. 2,017,235 to Drew; U.S. Pat. No. 2,079,378 to Mills; U.S. Pat. No. 2,289,245 to Dant; U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,423 to Herzfeld; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,381 to DePeaux et al. These approaches permit the continued re-use of a barrel, by permitting replacement of the staves that have been inserted, rather than requiring an entirely new container. Nevertheless, the insertion of the boards requires that the boards be sized to correspond to the container, and may in some instances require that the oak or other wood be custom cut for each container geometry.
In order to provide more universal application, and to avoid the need for larger knot or defect-free lengths of oak, various artisans have proposed the use of smaller chips or cubes of wood, which are then held within one of a variety of permeable secondary containers within the larger container. Exemplary of this approach are U.S. Pat. Nos. 818,478 to Shwayder; 1,976,091 to Pritchett; 2,086,073 to Francescon; 2,203,229 to Nilsson et al; 5,102,675 to Howell et al; and 5,481,960 and 5,647,268 to Sullivan. These approaches offer the benefit of many smaller cubes of wood, to obtain similar surface area as that present on the inside of a wooden barrel. The cubes may readily be replaced at will. However, these cubes again provide only nominal improvement in the time required for aging. In these designs, there is no spacing between the wood chips or cubes. Consequently, the time for aging may in fact be quite unpredictable, since the interaction between liquid and wood will depend upon how the cubes happen to stack within a given container. Furthermore, cubes are more troublesome with more viscous liquids, such as pastes, presenting problems both during infusion and with separation of liquid from cubes. Finally, and perhaps of greatest import in the industry, these cubes are not readily identifiable to their source within a tree. Very harmful flavorings may be extracted from wood which is either core wood, knotty, or presents other defects. Yet, when the wood is cut into these small cubes or sections, such defects will not readily present themselves. As a result, the wine maker, spirits brewer or other liquid processor loses much ability to inspect and control the quality of the wood used. This has led to a complete rejection of the chips and cubes by many producers.
Other more esoteric approaches have been presented for the treatment of spirits, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 334,222 to Fitch; U.S. Pat. No. 429,826 to Wagoner; U.S. Pat. No. 2,195,662 to Van Sant; U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,913 to Vowles; U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,836 to Gross et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,419 to Ecklein. Nevertheless, these prior art approaches at best attempt to mimic the performance of a high quality wooden container, and do little more for the distiller, wine maker, chemical processor, or other producer.